The Ideal Day Checklist – How Many of These 10 Things Are You ACTUALLY Doing?

The internet is inundated with articles about morning routines and ideal days. We read this stuff with positive intent, with the hope that it will teach us something that we don’t already know. I know I’ve fallen into this trap time and time again.

But like most things, you’re on a high for a total of 3 hours before you fall back into your old routines, and once again breaking trust with yourself and expanding your expectation gap.

I thought it would be handy to breakdown these ideas and concepts into a quick 10 point checklist. I want to use this as a framework to be accountable and take action.

Below you’ll find my ideal day checklist. Most of these items have come from this piece written by Joshua Becker over at Becoming Minimalist. It’s essentially a list of all of the things we know we should be doing everyday but it’s simply not happening.

At the end of the post, I reveal my score from yesterday (which may or may not be surprising), and I’m interested to see how you went as well 🙂

1. Get at least 8 hours sleep

According to Healthline, sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, stress and cancer. This is an area that has alluded me for years. I’m a content junky, so I’m always wired with ideas and thoughts before going to sleep. I probably average 5–6 hours each night, which just isn’t good enough. If you’re in the same boat, try sleeping at the same time each night and create a bedtime routine to relax you.

2. Rise early

This has a direct link to item #1. If you’re getting to bed consistently at a decent hour, you give yourself every chance to rise early and own your time. Between work, school and family, it can sometimes seem impossible to find time for yourself. One of the best things you can do for your health is waking up 30–60 minutes earlier than everyone else so you can focus on self-development.

3. Exercise and stretch

We all know the importance of moving and stretching your body, but still for many of us, it’s not happening enough. Try take away any objections by performing low-involvement activities, such as walking, yoga and pushups. The more steps you have to perform to exercise, the less likely you are to stick to the habit.

4. Eat well

What does eating well mean exactly? It means eating as many whole organic foods as possible and listen to how your body responds to certain foods. How you digest certain foods is a good indication of whether your body likes it or not. But you know the drill – eat more veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and you’ll be fine.

5. Do one thing that you love

If you’re getting enough sleep and rising early, you should find some extra time in your day to do one thing that you absolutely love. This could be playing with your children/pets, reading a fantastic novel, or watching your favourite TV show. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something you truly enjoy.

6. Accomplish one important task

It’s easy to mistake unimportant tasks for important tasks. Unimportant tasks are things that add little value and can be done later. This typically includes, emails, meetings, cleaning, web browsing.

Important tasks on the other hand, create breakthroughs and are often much harder to do. That’s why we put them off. This could be having a tough conversation with a family member, a friend or colleague. It could be writing 1000 words for your report, essay, journal or book. Or it could mean to finally finish building the deck which is now 2 months overdue.

Quick note: I find that when I accomplish at least one big task for the day, I sleep much better.

7. Be present with others

Turn off your phone, stop what you’re doing and focus on being present with those around you. Look in their eyes, listen to what they have to say, go deep in whatever you’re doing. We live for connection, let’s not gloss over it.

8. Give to someone else

How can you be of service? Ask this question every day. This could mean helping someone with an errand, paying it forward at the gas station, or simply being there for a friend who is in need.

9. Practice gratitude

Spend time each day, appreciating the fact that you can still breathe. You can do this in a number of ways; whether it’s journaling, looking up at the stars, meditating, whatever it is, build this into your daily routine.

10. Reset

So you’ve been blessed with another day of life. You’ve put your mind and body through a lot today, and now it’s time to reset and wind down. Switch off electronics, put things back in their place and start your evening routine.

What’s your score?

Out of these 10 steps, how many are you actually doing on a daily basis?